May 13, 2022 | Christian Lutz
www.pd-f.de / Kay TkatzikA good bicycle repair shop will thoroughly inspect your e-bike when it accepts repairs.
Nasty surprises in the specialist workshop are not uncommon. However, customers do not have to put up with excessive bills, cost estimates that are not adhered to or unnecessary repairs so easily.
Defective e-bikes end up in the specialist workshop more often than conventional bikes because of their more extensive technology. The large bicycle club ADFC suspects that this is the reason for the increased number of complaints about workshops.
If you bring your e-bike to the bicycle workshop, a so-called work contract is concluded when the order is accepted. The company then owes you a successful repair, according to the ADFC in its members’ magazine “Radwelt”. For you as a customer, this also means that you have to pay for a professionally carried out but unsuccessful troubleshooting. If the repair fails, you can request a repair within a certain period of time. After this period has expired, you can withdraw from the contract and request your money back.
Customers also have to pay additional costs
you do not agree with the amount of an invoice? Then the content of the repair order decides whether you have to pay. If, for example, the repair acceptance says “Resolve faults in the gear shift”, this can also include the replacement of expensive parts if they are necessary for perfect function. If the workshop finds other defective parts during the repair, they should inform the customer by telephone in order to complete the order. If additional spare parts are required for the repair, the workshop may also charge for these without prior notice. However, you do not have to pay the additional installation costs.
According to the law, a cost estimate is only a non-binding estimate and may be exceeded by ten to 20 percent. According to the ADFC, the fixed prices popular with customers are only usual for inspections and only cover the agreed services. However, if all items on the invoice for a regular repair are covered by the order, and the usual hourly rates and spare parts prices are listed, the customer must also pay a higher invoice. As a contractor, the workshop even has the right to keep your bike as a deposit until full payment has been made. Another important point is the cost-effectiveness of a repair: If the costs exceed the current value of the e-bike, honest dealers will tell their customers.
Longer repair times and “compulsory repairs”
If a repair takes longer than planned, the workshop does not have to provide you with a rental bike immediately or reimburse the costs for it. This only occurs when the company is in default, i.e. does not meet an agreed deadline. Here the actual cause is important: If the workshop is overloaded, it has to put other work on hold after a reminder. However, if the problem lies in the procurement of spare parts, this is at the expense of the customer.
One issue that affected customers reported to the ADFC is so-called “compulsory repairs”. A bicycle workshop was given as an example, which did not accept an order to change the chain because the customer did not want to have the cuff of the suspension fork replaced at the same time. The workshop argued that it had an obligation to repair a safety-relevant component. According to Roland Huhn, legal officer at the ADFC, retailers can refuse to accept certain orders due to contractual freedom. In the case of the suspension fork cuff, however, it would be sufficient to point out the safety defect to the customer and recommend an exchange. Ultimately, the customer decides whether and which defect he wants to have repaired. The workshop, on the other hand, can only add a warning to the copy of the invoice in order to comply with its obligation to document a dangerous defect.
How do I find a good workshop?
Last year, EFAHRER already reported on the workshop check of the SWR consumer magazine Marktcheck. Three selected companies were tested, only one was rated as recommendable by the expert Dirk Zedler. At a good workshop, the employee should take the time to check your e-bike thoroughly when you receive it. The estimate also gives you some security. It also depends on where you bought your bike. If it comes from a dealer or a specialist shop, they are usually the point of contact for repairs. Certain brands also have authorized workshops that are particularly familiar with the respective models. In the case of so-called independent workshops, you should first look at the reviews on the Internet. A test mark such as the “tested service and repair quality” seal from TÜV Nord also identifies good specialist companies.
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